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Simon P. Crawford

Leading Commercial Real Estate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner

Samantha Weng

Real Estate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate

Once again, cottage season is upon us—and like the return of the season, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Court) has returned to the well-settled law of adverse possession, which continues to surface in modern property disputes where long-term use of a property by an adjoining owner can sometimes erode the ownership rights of the legal owner.

Lines in the Sand A Case of Adverse Possession from Cottage Country

Lines in the Sand: A Case of Adverse Possession from Cottage Country

Adam Kalbfleisch

Competition, Foreign Investment Review and Regulatory Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Alixe A.L. Cameron

Corporate Commercial and Real Estate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Jane C. Helmstadter

The Competition Bureau (Bureau) has released its <a href="https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/how-we-foster-competition/education-and-outreach/publications/competitor-property-controls-and-competition-act">finalized property control guidelines</a> (Guidelines) outlining the Bureau's ongoing approach to enforcing competition property controls under the Competition Act (Act). These replace the preliminary guidelines published on August 7, 2024, which were subject to a public consultation process last summer/fall

Breaking Ground The Competition Bureau Weighs in with Final Property Control Guidelines

The Competition Bureau Weighs in with Final Property Control Guidelines

Simon Crawford was a featured speaker at the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://store.lso.ca/22nd-real-estate-law-summit" target="_blank">22nd Real Estate Law Summit</a>, sharing key insights during his session, Buyer (Counsel) Beware of an Apportionment of Damages. Head of Bennett Jones’ Real Estate Industry team, Simon is a sought-after thought leader in the sector, known for his practical guidance, deep industry knowledge and ability to unpack complex legal issues into actionable strategies for clients and counsel alike.

Buyer Counsel Beware of an Apportionment of Damages

Buyer (Counsel) Beware of an Apportionment of Damages

Meg Tweedlie

Commercial Real Estate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

In light of recent caselaw, and despite popular belief, it may be time to reframe specific performance as a perfectly ordinary remedy rather than an extraordinary one. The decision of Justice Rees in The Decorators Choice Paint Store Ltd. v Innes Crossing Inc., reaffirms what we recently saw in Bellwoods Brewery Inc. v 1896841 Ontario Limited, which is that the remedy of specific performance should not be a surprising outcome in the context of leasing disputes.

Specific Performance Not Extraordinary in Commercial Leasing

Specific Performance: Not Extraordinary in Commercial Leasing

Luke Morrison

Energy Project Development, M&A, and Commercial Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Ashley M. White

Corporate, Commercial Transactions, Power & Energy Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Pamela Clark

Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary 

Associate 

On June 6, 2025, the federal government introduced Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act, which proposes new legislation aimed at strengthening Canada's economy by removing interprovincial trade and labour mobility barriers and advancing major projects.

Wind In The Sails of Canadian Energy Project Development

Wind In The Sails of Canadian Energy Project Development: Major Projects Office Open For Business, and Details of Fast-Tracked Projects Emerging

Stephen D. Burns

Technology Lawyer, Intellectual Property Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner, Trademark Agent

Matthew Flynn

Technology Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

J. Sébastien A. Gittens

Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

AI transcription tools offer efficiency and accuracy in the boardroom but create risks to confidentiality, privacy and legal privilege. Organizations should adopt clear policies, safeguards and training to ensure responsible use and compliance with governance standards.

AI Notetaking in the Boardroom

Lorelei Graham

Food and Agribusiness Lawyer, IP Lawyer, Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

The United States Patent and Trademark Office's decision to cancel its Climate Change Mitigation pilot program for patents has not gone unnoticed in Canada. For Canadian policymakers and agri-tech innovators, this move by the United States raises two big questions: (1) How might this affect Canada&rsquo;s own intellectual property&nbsp; strategy for green tech, and (2) could it create opportunities for Canada (and others) to take the lead in certain climate-tech domains?
A particular area of interest is carbon-capture agri-tech, technologies that help farming not just reduce emissions but actively capture carbon (for instance, special crops or soil treatments that lock away carbon dioxide or farm machinery that traps greenhouse gases). These innovations are crucial for meeting climate goals and could become a competitive arena internationally.

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part IV

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part IV: Shifting Gears: How the United States' Exit from Climate Protection Fuels Canada's IP Advantage

Martin Ignasiak KC

Regulatory Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Jessica Kennedy

Larissa D. Lees

Alberta&rsquo;s updated self-supply rules create new opportunities for on-site power generation. This blog highlights key regulatory issues, risks, and opportunities developers need to consider.

So You Want to Supply Your Own Power Key Considerations for On Site Generation in Alberta

So You Want to Supply Your Own Power: Key Considerations for On-Site Generation in Alberta

Across the Atlantic, the European Union (EU) and its member states have also been encouraging climate-resilient agri-tech innovation, but their approach to intellectual property incentives has been a bit different. The European Union has set ambitious climate goals (like achieving climate neutrality by 2050) and launched the European Green Deal, a broad policy agenda to support sustainable technologies. While funding and regulations (such as support for sustainable farming practices) are big parts of the EU strategy, there is also recognition that IP rights play an important role in fostering innovation. However, unlike Canada or the recent US pilot program, Europe has not implemented a unified “green channel” for patent examination at the European Patent Office.

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part III

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part III: Green Without the Label: Europe's Pragmatic IP Approach to Agri-Tech Innovation

Title Insurance and Unpermitted Work

Authors


Bennett Jones Article Title Insurance and Unpermitted Work Simon Crawford December 1, 2015 Authors Simon P. CrawfordPartner The Ontario Court of Appeal has recently released a decision that takes an expansive and broad view of when a residential title policy can provide coverage for work done without a building permit. View presentation at Slideshare: Title Insurance and Unpermitted Work. Share by Email Social Media Download Download Subscribe Republishing Requests For permission to republish this or any other publication, contact Amrita Kochhar at kochhara@bennettjones.com. For informational purposes only This publication provides an overview of legal trends and updates for informational purposes only. For personalized legal advice, please contact the authors. Authors Simon P. Crawford, Partner • Head of Real Estate Industry Team Toronto • 416.777.4815 • crawfords@bennettjones.com